My husband and I are going to Ireland for 7 days the second week of December (Dec. 9 - 17) and want your recommendations for what to do! We are interested in history, architecture and art, and like anything that feels medieval/fantastic. We know, we might be crazy going at that time of year, but we plan to take it easy. We don't mind the cold but we do love Christmas cheer. We plan to spend about 3 days in Dublin and 3 days somewhere else.
My main question is: Where should that somewhere else be? We want to go somewhere accessible by train or bus, since we're not going to rent a car. Once we get to the destination, we'll take cabs to get to outlying castles, etc. We're interested in charming, romantic towns with enough to do to sustain a few days of leisurely walking, castle-touring, museum-going, pub-crawling, and light hiking (I'm pregnant so can't do anything too strenuous). I'm interested in trying to see the Northern Lights if any of the regular viewing places are accessible by public transport.
I'm also wondering about day trips from Dublin. Any suggestions?
Thank you!